Baritone ukuleles have been hot this year -- here's a look at the current three:
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https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TP-zfni1U1k/WGWA0sKVWHI/AAAAAAAABtE/cPZN6_NMNxc9Dl81SaK5UvNPd3rt29-_gCEw/s400/IMG_1266.JPG
Baritone uke back inside & braces. L to R: South American cedar, San Fran Presidio black acacia, jarrah

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San Fran black acacia top, inside -- there will be two more small waist braces

You can see larger images of the same photos at dartinstruments.blogspot.com (http://dartinstruments.blogspot.com/)- click the photos to enlarge

Rrgramps

12-29-2016, 11:45 AM

Good stuff, David; a pleasure to view your pictures and site.

sequoia

12-29-2016, 05:30 PM

Interesting David. Love to see the finished X-bracing scheme. I do fan bracing not because I'm convinced that fan bracing the best way to do it, but more because that is the only way I know how to do it. Maybe my next uke will be x-braced. Change is sometimes hard. Oh no! Not another learning curve! Life is a learning curve. Sometimes I just wish it got a little flatter as I get older.

Lovely looking instrument David. I would love to hear what that X-braced bracing sounds like. When I'm headed down to Santa Rosa I'm gonna stop and climb that awful driveway in the woods and drop in.

Ken Franklin

01-11-2017, 09:13 PM

Looking great Dave. Have you built ukes with jarrah before?

greenscoe

01-11-2017, 09:56 PM

Its always good to see other makers work: solid linings and X bracing are not often seen on the forum.

DartInstruments

01-12-2017, 02:22 PM

I've built several concert size. Works well and looks like a big Chocolate bar. Love the color.

DartInstruments

01-12-2017, 02:28 PM

What awful driveway?? I'm right by the highway.

DartInstruments

01-12-2017, 02:38 PM

I've been a custom maker for 50 + years and solid lining is the way to go on almost any stringed instrument. Much more rigid rim and better sustain overall.
That x bracing is more than I usually do. I don't put the lower cross brace in. That particular top wood was very (too?) flexible so I put the extra brace/ cleat to hold it from over expanding, not as a tone bar. It's very thin.

DartInstruments

01-12-2017, 03:09 PM

This is a very light x bracing and usually I don't put in the bottom cross brace. That particular top was very flexible and so I added the brace/cleat for stability rather than as a tone bar. Usually the whole lower bout is open, giving a really good attack and the x gives good sustain.

Dan Gleibitz

01-12-2017, 06:24 PM

Thanks for sharing these photos David. It's a real treat to see inside your workshop and inside your instruments. And the beard (of course)!

Ken Franklin

01-12-2017, 10:40 PM

I've been a custom maker for 50 + years and solid lining is the way to go on almost any stringed instrument. Much more rigid rim and better sustain overall.

+1 That's what I do. More work but worth it.

greenscoe

01-13-2017, 04:32 AM

After 50 plus years of instrument making, I think we should all be taking note of what you are saying, whether its making the rims stiffer with solid linings or the light X bracing you have used for your baritones!

sequoia

01-13-2017, 05:03 PM

solid lining is the way to go on almost any stringed instrument. Much more rigid rim and better sustain overall.

I'm still intrigued by that solid lining. As long as you can bend the lining who needs kerfs. I'fve used solid linings before, but it never gave me enough meat to cut in bindings. Or at least I thought. Do you cut binding channels into these ukes with solid, unkerfed linings?

Ken Franklin

01-13-2017, 10:25 PM

I'm still intrigued by that solid lining. As long as you can bend the lining who needs kerfs. I'fve used solid linings before, but it never gave me enough meat to cut in bindings. Or at least I thought. Do you cut binding channels into these ukes with solid, unkerfed linings?
Looks like Dave has two laminated layers so plenty thick enough for bindings.

DartInstruments

03-08-2017, 01:10 PM

All finished! Here's a video comparing the three:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pl2RcnI4aeE

Jim Hanks

03-08-2017, 04:57 PM

Nice! Are the same strings on all three of those? I can really hear the difference in tone from the warmer cedar, brighter acacia, and in-between jarrah.

sequoia

03-08-2017, 07:26 PM

Beautiful sounding ukes. My next project should be a baritone. Nice stuff David.

greenscoe

03-08-2017, 09:11 PM

They do say: "the proof of the pudding is in the eating"...........They sound great to me so it looks as though solid linings and light X bracing is a good recipe for a baritone uke.

OhioBelle

03-09-2017, 02:51 PM

Nice! Are the same strings on all three of those? I can really hear the difference in tone from the warmer cedar, brighter acacia, and in-between jarrah.

Here's another demo video of the three baritone ukes, two weeks after the other video. They're really opened up and are sounding great!

https://youtu.be/Rc2xZXDhGsc

There are more photos, materials, & specs on this blog (http://dartinstruments.blogspot.com/2017/03/acacia-cedar-jarrah-baritone-ukuleles.html), as well as an official "For Sale" post (http://forum.ukuleleunderground.com/showthread.php?126374-For-Sale-A-pair-of-brand-new-2017-David-Dart-Baritone-Ukuleles-Acacia-amp-Cedar) on the UU Marketplace.

And four more baritones are already underway! One will be a six-string: acacia, with a double-strung octave on the 3rd and 4th strings and plain 1st & 2nd strings.

DartInstruments

04-11-2017, 12:28 PM

Four more baritones almost done!

99249
99250
99251

This batch includes a pair of Style Two (with binding) and a pair of Style One (without binding). Please visit Dart Instruments' new blog (http://dartinstruments.com/blog/) for more details on these beauties.

Hi folks - just finished a new batch of ukuleles! Here are some photos and a demo video of five baritones. I just posted them for sale over in the Marketplace forum with more photos & specs, but have a look here in the meantime.

The acacia (from the San Francisco Presidio) six-string is fun: it features octave-strung 3rd & 4th courses and single-strung 1st & 2nd courses, for a really big sound!

I've been a custom maker for 50 + years and solid lining is the way to go on almost any stringed instrument. Much more rigid rim and better sustain overall.
That x bracing is more than I usually do. I don't put the lower cross brace in. That particular top wood was very (too?) flexible so I put the extra brace/ cleat to hold it from over expanding, not as a tone bar. It's very thin.Favilla used solid binding on their pre paper label baritones. they are awesome.

greenscoe

06-06-2017, 11:55 PM

Its always good to see makers displaying and playing their instruments. These look and sound great. I can't help noticing the lute in the background-is that something you've made, are repairing ...or play?